Improvement in carpet-stretchers



G. c. MILLER.

, CARPET-STRETCHER. No.1 82,5Z8; Patented Sept.26,1876.

N.FETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

NITED STATES PATENT (Darren.

G. CLARK MILLER, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

. IMPROVEMENT lN CARPET-STRETCHERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 182,528, dated September 26, 1876; application filed July 20, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, G. CLARK MILLER, of Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oarpet-Stretchers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The drawing represents a rear plan view of the invention, showing all the parts in working position.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple carpetstretcher, whereby the carpet may be tightened and held in the strained position until the same can be permanently secured to the floor; and it consists of a rear longitudinal bar having fixed curved teeth extending downward from the under side. These curved teeth, when in working position, enter into the carpet, and by them, in connection with converging rods, hinged bail, and pointed hand lever, the said carpet is drawn taut. It further consists of a. spurred dog, whereby the stretched carpet may be held in the stretched position until the same can be nailed or otherwise secured to the floor, all of which will be hereinafter described.

In the drawing, which is a perspective view of my invention,Arepresents the pull-bar, and a the metallic teeth secured to and extending beneath the same, with a forward curve of the points for the purpose of insuring a firm hold with the carpet. B B are pull-rods, rigidly secured to the pull bar A at their rear ends, and extending forward in a converging manner for a sufficient distance to receive the dogging device, which will now be explained. O is a metallic U-shaped piece, having upon its curved periphery a groove, corresponding in size with the rod B. A groove is also made in the front face of the straight portions, which extend outwardly upon either side of the curved part of the piece. Through these extended end pieces, and in line with the curved peripheral groove, are holes made through the said end pieces, which correspond in size with the groove and the rod B, and through which the said rod passes.

The rods B may be made in one continuous piece by first forming the curve (to fit the curved portion of the piece 0) at a point near the center of the rod of the required length. The ends of the rod are pushed through, one in each of the holes before mentioned, and when the curve of the rod is brought in close contact within the groove corresponding in form made in the piece 0, the ends are given an outward bend at the inner ends of the straight part of the grooves, and are designated b. At the point 12 another bend is given the rod, and thus forms the diagonal rod B. D is a spur or spurs secured to or made a part of the metallic piece 0, and is for the purpose of retaining the stretched carpet in position while it is being nailed or otherwise secured.

It will be observed that the rods B are, at their rear ends, rigidly secured to the pull-bar at points somelittle distance from thelongitudinal center of the bar, with the forward ends of the rods drawing nearer together, so that the pull -bar will, from a center draft, move each of its ends equally, and with an equal tension of the carpet at each end of the bar.

E is a wire bail, pivoted at the converging ends to a hand-lever, F, and hinged at the diverging ends to the forward part of the diagonal rods B, and, when in the same vertical line with the said rods, are also in the diagonal line with the same, and so connected that the bail may be turned around and within the space between the said rods B. F is a handlever, hinged to the bail E in such a manner that the said lever may be swung back upon and at right angles with the pull-bar, as well as to swing forward sufficiently far to allow the point e in the end of the said lever to be driven into the floor for the purpose of drawing the carpet taut.

The operation of stretching the carpet is as follows: After one of its edges has been nailed to the floor the edge opposite is pulled by attaching it a little back from the said edge to the pull-bar by means of the curved teeth, which hook into the carpet, when the point of the hand-lever is caught into the floor in advance of the edge of the carpet, with the lifting end of the lever lying centrally back in a position nearly horizontal. The hand-lever is raised to a perpendicular, or farther, if the walls of the room will admit of such farther swing, which will, by such raising of the lever, pull the bar, with the attached carpet, forward; and if sufficient stretch is not given at the first pull the operator can, by pressing upon the bar, or by standing upon the carpet, repeat the operation until the required stretch shall be given, and, when done, the spur or spurs D are driven into the floor sufficiently far to hold the carpet in position, when the hand-lever, by the hinged connections of the bail E, is thrown back sufficiently far to allow a clear space for nailing the stretched portion of the carpet, and, when so nailed, the stretcher is removed, the process repeated until the whole carpet is secured to the floor.

Having now described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a carpet-stretcher, the combination of the pull-bar, having curved teeth, the draftrods secured to the same, the rigid dog, the bail, and pointed lever, all these parts arranged and operating substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth 2. The combination, in a carpetstretcher, 0f the pulLbar A, having the curved teeth a inserted therein, diagonal draft-rods B, the

bail E, made from a single rod, hinged to the pointed lever 13, and draft-rods, substantially in the manner shown and described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 11th day of July, 1876.

G. CLARK MILLER.

Witnesses: G. W. FORD,

CHARLES S. FORD. 

